Horror Movie Review: Werewolf Santa (2023)

Written and directed by Airell Anthony Hayles, Werewolf Santa is a found-footage horror as silly as it sounds, yet it lacks in both the fun and over the top departments. It stars Katherine Rodden, Charlie Preston, Mark Arnold, and Emily Booth.

Lucy and Dustin are YouTubers who like to roam the countryside of the UK looking for fabled monsters. They film their exploits for their show ‘Monster Hunter’, while also exploring their one/off personal relationship.

Their latest planned episode is about werewolves and Lucy believes there is evidence they exist in her hometown near Hastings. It doesn’t matter that it’s Christmas time, as Lucy doesn’t enjoy the festive season, but it does mean she has to visit her mother. Something she’d rather not do, as she has simmering resentment over her parent’s divorce. All while Dustin gets more and more frustrated by Lucy’s unwillingness to talk about their relationship.

If all of that wasn’t enough to create a tense Christmas experience, Lucy’s father is also popping in and he and his ex-wife didn’t end things on good terms.

It sounds quite dramatic, doesn’t it? Perhaps too dramatic for a movie called Werewolf Santa. Well, fear not, as the foursome come across jolly old Saint Nick, who has had an unlucky night. It’s a full moon, he has had a brush with a werewolf, and is now more Santa Claws than Claus.

Will they be able to stop the transformed Santa and save Christmas?

That synopsis promises a tongue in cheek and bloody horror that doesn’t take itself seriously in the slightest. Which, at first, it seems to be going for. Yet, for all the silliness of the story and the couple of laughs that come at the start, Werewolf Santa takes a much more solemn tone, and is all the worse for it. Focusing on family drama, attempting to add emotional arcs to characters, and be scary, rather than fun. Unsurprisingly, it fails at all of it.

Its problems are many, but most notable is the absolutely frenetic pacing of the film. It’s short, at around 70 minutes long, and it’s good that there is little time wasted in getting to the werewolf shenanigans, but the rush job that follows, is too much. Scenes are all over the place, not helped by the fact it’s a found-footage movie, and it actually becomes difficult to keep up. Nothing is given any time to breathe, and the haphazard pacing extends to plot points that just create confusion. It’s absurd that a movie about a werewolf Santa Claus is this much of a mess.

It’s also absurd just how little the viewer actually sees when it comes to werewolf action. Although this is likely to have been because of budgetary issues, it doesn’t make for an enjoyable watch.

The fun factor is dragged even further into the mud with uninspired performances, awkward dialogue, and the lack of festive feel overall. Sure, it looks Christmassy here and there, but it never feels like it plays an important part. Even Christmas’ main character, Santa Claus, feels unimportant here. The werewolf could have been the Easter Bunny, and it wouldn’t make any difference to the feel of the film.

Overall, Werewolf Santa is not going to be a jolly treat in anyone’s stocking this Christmas.